Tips, Tools and Perspective for Being More Empowered

Welcome to my self-empowerment blog--as seen in The Huffington Post Guide to Blogging! I used to be a wimp and never got taken seriously. When I became one of the first chicks to start a record label, I learned to navigate the male dominated music industry and earned respect, without raising my voice or getting overtly tough. I transferred those skills into all areas of life and now get what I want from most people. I'll share those lessons here by talking about my observations of situations and habits that hold both men and women back from being as empowered as possible. I'll also give tips for more effective communication, handling yourself with more confidence, and in general, how to come across as more serious--whether it's at work, dealing with an annoying phone company, your mother, a romantic partner and anyone else you want to feel more in control with. Everybody can use more tools for taking control of their lives, like in my latest book, Nice Girls Can Finish First (McGraw-Hill). Please subscribe if you'd like more!

Friday, January 2, 2009

How I Gave Myself Love Today

To start 2009 off on a loving foot, I'm posting something I give my clients who struggle with loving themselves. You may not love yourself right now but you can learn to with a conscious effort. Loving yourself is the BEST New Year's gift you can give!

Self-help books encourage loving yourself, like a catchphrase. But doing it is the tough part. It's easy to say "You must love yourself," but hard to figure out how to achieve that. It sounds so nice but can feel very elusive. Clients tell me, "but Daylle, I just don't love myself." Often they don't understand what it means.

Loving yourself begins with consciously doing things for YOU that are loving. You don't have to love yourself now to do it.

The more loving things you do for yourself, the more you get focused on being loving. The more you focus on being loving, the more fertile ground for love to grow. When I was a DoorMat, I had NO self-love. And I thought it was impossible to feel it. But as I began to treat myself more lovingly--being kinder about my inner messages, treating myself to more things I enjoyed, cutting myself slack on self-loathing or getting angry if I made a mistake, eating healthier, doing exercise, using nice skin care products, etc.--the more my head was able to wrap around loving ME. It took time and lots of conscious self-loving behavior. But I was able to eventually develop the strongest self-love possible.

I NEVER thought it could happen. If I could learn to love myself, so can you! Yes, I learned by being loving. It made me feel good, so I did more and more.

I suggest you copy the chart below that I give to my clients, and make copies for every week. Then make sure you fill it in every night or as you do things for you that show love. Keep it where you can see it as a reminder to be more loving.

HOW I GAVE MYSELF LOVE TODAY___________________________________________

Saturday

___________________________________________

Sunday

___________________________________________

Monday

___________________________________________

Tuesday

___________________________________________

Wednesday

___________________________________________

Thursday

___________________________________________

Friday

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7 comments:

Man I hate the way blogger does comments....isn't funny how success in life, happiness often is just about how we see ourselves..we could accomplish anything if only we could like who we are...we punish ourselves for the mistakes we make in life...unable to grasp the simple concept it is human to make mistakes.

I've always wanted to love myself but it seems so elusive. I grew up being put down and picked on. Seems like everything I did was wrong. So my self image never went beyond that. I don't even like seeing myself in the mirror. Friends tell me I'm so much better than I see. But self-hatred overrules reason. I'm desperate and will try to fill in something every day that I make myself do that's loving. Maybe I have a small hope now. But it's hard to change my lifelong attitude.

I just bought some expensive lotion because I realize I deserve it and can afford treats like that occasionally. It did feel good! I will find other ways to be loving and use your list to do something every day when I can.

I would think that part of loving yourself would mean learning to ask for what you want. My problem is that when I don't get what I ask for, I struggle with disappointment. Especially from men. This is a good blog. Thanks for the insight.

About Me

Daylle Deanna Schwartz,author Nice Girls Can Finish First (McGraw-Hill), is a best-selling author, speaker, self-empowerment counselor and music industry consultant. She’s appeared on hundreds of TV and radio shows, including Oprah, Howard Stern, and Good Morning America; quoted in publications, including the NY Times, Chicago Sun-Times, Cosmopolitan and Men’s Health; on Lifetimetv.com’s Panel of Experts.
After being a People Pleaser, Daylle reinvented herself into a dual career. She’s the author of 10 books, including Start & Run Your Own Record Label, I Don't Need a Record Deal!, and All Men Are Jerks Until Proven Otherwise. Her music business books for Billboard are top sellers.
Daylle learned to get taken seriously without being overtly assertive as one of the first women to start an independent record label and played ball in an industry dominated by men. Women consider Daylle a role model. She speaks for colleges, organizations and corporations. Through Project Self-Empowerment, Daylle creates programs and materials to help people empower themselves. She publishes Daylle’s News & Resources (music industry) and Self-Empowerment Quarterly e-zines.